Cold weather in Paris in March
 

We just came to paris last week and weather had been nothing but cold 30-40s F most days occasionally going to 50s , showers almost everyday and cloudy. I will recommend everyone planning for March trip to Europe ( we went to Venice and then came to Paris) to pack plenty of warm clothes, plan to dress in layers, and bring a proper winter coat . Spring coats are not enough I myself had to buy one in Paris since mine was not warm enough. My husband is from Michigan but he was cold too, our hands were freezing in tour buses and while walking outside. I will recommend bringing warm gloves and a hat as well. Be prepared otherwise you won't enjoy the trip and will have to pay $$$ to get the warm stuff. We don't know much French and did just fine. Apple itranslate app helped with learning French I places where we needed it.

Thank u

This March was freezing at home. I may be wrong but it feels unusually cold for this time of year.

Other than the cold weather, will you be finishing your trip report?

This time last year it was 22C.

This year is exceptionally cold. It is not normal. The windchill is making it feel even colder. No-one could have predicted this, and it must be miserable for you. I do hope you can still enjoy your holiday.

So sorry to hear that it is still so cold in Paris. Hope you can enjoy the trip in your new coat!

In addition to the "coldest winter in 50 years," so far March has been the "coldest March in 15 years" in Paris -- but the coming days might make it worse.

I have just had the pleasure of seeing Paris under a few layers of snow. We were there from March 10 - 14. We were expecting colder weather (we did check the forecast) - but were taken by surprise while we were there. One morning there was 6 inches of snow on the cars outside the hotel. It affected our mobility because there were delays in the Metro and RER. On one day the TGV trains were cancelled. One of the funniest sights of our trip was watching shopkeepers shovel the snow from their sidewalks, all bent over, using a dustpan. Nevertheless, our time in Paris was filled with warm memories.

We thought we would leave the miserable weather behind once we headed south to Avignon, but we encountered the dreaded Mistral for three days straight. Upon our return to Canada we were grateful for our spring weather.
tC

Thanks for posting, we'll be there the 2nd week of April. I'll make sure to take a warmer coat and more layers.

When we were in Italy, it was 100 F in Florence all week. No A/C either. I'd rather have the cold weather, if i had to choose. I'd prefer it be cold and tuck into a hot meal and a warm liqueur. The heat in Italy was brutal.

Of course is Paris decides to go up to 65 F or so, I won't complain :)

Second week of April it could (and hopefully will) be a lot warmer. Certainly here in the Netherlands it is due to warm up somewhat over Easter weekend.
I would keep checking the forecasts before deciding what to pack.

we were in Paris March of 2012. It was "chilly" but not as cold as you described.. basically you couldn't see your breath outside. Woke up to gloomy grey skies every morning barely able to make out the Eiffel tower. Sorry about your luck with the weather. I must admit though, Paris is fantastic under any sort of conditions

We will be there on Wednesday. Hope my husband can take it. He hates cold weather. When I planned this trip in January, I did not know that it would stay this cold all the way to the end of March. Been in Paris twice in March long time ago and it was not too cold.

It was lovely and sunny (still cold though) yesterday but today it's back to the gloom, however I heard the new bells at Notre Dame yesterday and none of it mattered!

Georgiegirl - I hate cold weather too (no wonder I left the UK for California more than 20 years ago). But it isn't that cold here, currently mid 40's but heading to the mid 50's for Easter, the worst of it is the wind as you're walking along the Seine. Hopefully your husband will survive!

I've experienced cold in March and April for many years. March is usually cold for me. April can be temperamental as I've been there when I could walk around in a t-shirt and no jacket and other times I've had to have a coat. But, as for March, I always pack a full coat, gloves, and a cap.

Happy Travels!

It has indeed been pretty much confirmed that northern France will remain cold through the end of the month.

We did a tour of Germany, Switzerland and France the second week of April 2012 and had some glorious days with lots of sunshine. However, the day we arrived in Berlin it snowed....quite a shock for the locals because 5 days before they had temps around +25C. Travelling at this time of year you need to be prepared for everything so the best plan is to layer and make sure you have a raincoat, umbrella and a change of footwear in case your shoes get wet!!! Enjoy your trips everyone...wish we were traveling to Europe this April!!!

Germany, cold in 5/2012?? So was Spain..snow in Avila, Semana Santa required warm scarves and jackets. but what the heck..you just can't trust the weather..Here in the high plains and Rockies we say "just wait 5 minutes"!! Be prepared but not overburdened with clothes..Layers do it!! I wouldn't bother with raincoat, a plastic poncho (pocket fitting) will do. Unbrellas are easily bought abroad if needed..Don't let any adverse weather spoil your trip..

We had sleet in Paris in mid- May, preceded and followed by wind and rain.

Global warming?